Elks pledge support for firefighters, police, first-responders

Friday, March 1, 2013

Nine brief but eloquent stories were told by police and fire chiefs this week from a Mount Clemens Elks Lodge 2124 lectern about police officers, deputies, firefighters and other first-responders under their command.

One sheriff’s deputy — who has expertise with gangs — prevented a despondent teenager from taking her life by locating her through Twitter posts. Another officer known for his ability to keep people calm volunteered to help at the scene of an accident on I-94. He got eight stitches in his head when a passing car rammed a vehicle on the sidelines.

A firefighter carries a puppy out of a burning house, while an officer with a K-9 partner gets out of bed in the middle of the night to help track down a bad guy. There is mourning for K-9 partners when they pass on after their short lives of service.

Still other police officers and firefighters work out of sight of the public at upgrading radio systems or they see that first-responders go from having basic to advanced lifesaving training so that citizens can be the safest they can be.

Some become the teachers, or they train so that they keep each other from harm. They perform CPR and bring life back to victims. Some have gone on many thousands of calls, accidents, medical incidents and fires in their careers and never receive a formal accolade. They’d tell you it’s all in a day’s work, that it’s their job — but also that it’s nice when someone notices and says thanks.

The Mount Clemens Elks Lodge 2124 noticed and thanked members of law enforcement agencies and the firefighters at its 26th annual Law and Order Night.

People receiving plaques from the Elks, via their chiefs, were from Macomb, Chesterfield, Clinton Township and Harrison Township, the Macomb County Sheriffs Department and the City of Mount Clemens.

Louie Johnston is chairman for Law and Order Night.

“It’s hard to express our appreciation that we as members of this Elks lodge have for the agencies that surround our lodge,” Johnston told the recipients, and their chiefs, colleagues and family members. “Your actions make our cities a safer place to live, more enjoyable and we know when the time comes, you will be there if we need you.

“We need Law and Order Night to try to tell you how much we appreciate your service. Every day you walk out your door, there are perils you can face, sometimes with good endings and sometimes with bad endings. It’s something you live with and we thank you,” Johnston said. “When somebody needs you, you do it without thinking about it.”

Harrison Township Fire Chief Michael J. Lopez handed a plaque to Shackett partly for volunteering to re-band the radio system, a big job that had been mandated of the department.

“It’s inspiring to come here and hear these stories of the work being done,” Lopez said. “Sometimes those of us in these jobs travel on rocky roads and I think it is really good for us to come here and hear about the good things that are happening.”

They give all the credit to their teams, partners, colleagues, mentors, families, leadership, equals and subordinates, and to those who came before them. They say they could never do what they do without support.

“Nothing we do is done alone,” Jawor said.

“We feel about our police and firefighters as we do about our military,” Johnston said. “They keep us safe in a different land and police and firefighters keep us safe in our homes.”

Elks’ relationship with veterans goes back to 1917 when the Order of Elks was nearly 50 years old. They raised $1 million for “the sick and wounded on the battlefields of France,” equipping base hospitals, and creating a fund for war relief work. The program still exists as a commission.

The Order’s work was inspirational and ground-breaking.

In 1918, Elks built a 700-bed Reconstruction Hospital in Boston and gave it to the War Department — a precursor to today’s Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. At that same time, to help The Salvation Army, the Order built a 72-room Community House to take care of families visiting 40,000 soldiers stationed at Camp Sherman, Ohio. Today, we have Fisher Houses.

The National Veterans Service Commission made 40,000 rehabilitation, vocational and educational loans to disabled veterans who were ineligible for government help or were waiting approval of their applications for assistance. The federal government took over that successful program and called it the GI Bill.

More than 70,000 Elks served in the armed forces during World War I, and served and particularly recruited men skilled in construction for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy Construction Battalions in World War II.

Elks made a pledge to preserve and defend the democratic way of life with an Elks War Commission in 1942 with an initial war chest of $35,000. The U.S. Army asked the War Commission to recruit 45,000 young men for the ground crews of the Army Air Corps. The commission, with the help of the lodges, recruited 97,000.

The 155 lodges that were near large military camps provided some of the comforts of home while soldiers were away from their families, similar to the USO. The Merchant Marine asked for 600,000 books and the Elks responded with 650,000 books, one for every member at that time in the organization. They sent care packages the way we do today to those still in Afghanistan.

They held blood drives and began a program with hospitalized veterans, that included buying air conditioners for military hospitals, and continues to this day.

Besides honoring first responders, the Benevolent Order of Elks organization — with its 850,000 members in 2,000 lodges and its Elks National Foundation — annually provides more than $3.64 million in college scholarships.

Fallen and Wounded Soldiers dinner

The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund 8th annual dinner and auction is at 5:30 p.m. March 9 in the ballroom of the Suburban Collection Showplace Novi. Keynote speaker is Don Mann, a former member-trainer of SEAL Team Six that conducted the raid in Pakistan that killed Osama Bin Laden. Master of ceremonies is TV meteorologist Chuck Gaidica. Tickets are $110. See fwsf.org or contact Ann Cornelious at 248-346-5976 or ann4fwsf@aol.com. This year’s dinner is in coordination with Michigan Family United and Operation Care Package Michigan.

Veterans Treatment Court fundraiser

The Friends of the Macomb County Veterans Treatment Court host a fund-raiser at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Bruce Post 1146, at 28404 E. Jefferson Ave. in St. Clair Shores from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 10. A spaghetti dinner will be served for a donation of $5. Contact John Walus at jewalus@aol.com for information. Proceeds will be used to support veterans admitted to the treatment court.